Support for electric lamps



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. J. CHASE. SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

No. 444,330 Patented Jan.6,1891.

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I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. CHASE.

SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

No. 444,330. Patented Jan. 6, 1891,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES CHASE, OF ROCHESTER, NEXV YORK.

SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,330, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed May 1'7, 1890 Serial No. 352,169. (No model.)

To ctZZ- whom it nutty concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES CHASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Supports for Electric Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention. relates to certain improvements in means for supporting electric lamps.

It is the purpose of said invention to provide simple devices whereby the lamp may be held firmly in place during high winds and its swinging or vibrationprevented.

It is also one purpose of myinvention to so construct and organize the several parts of the support that a perfect electrical contact may be obtained and maintained when the lamp is raised.

It is my further purpose to provide a novel arrangement of the switch, in conjunction with a staff, whereby said switch is operated without possibility of danger to the person using it, who has the current under perfect control when standing on the ground, and can short-circuitit at any moment without the slightest risk of receiving a shock, and without the necessity of employing ladders or other similar means for obtaining access to the lamp.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and then definitely pointed out in the claims which follow this specification.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my said invention, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lampsupport embodying my invention, the lamp being shown raised. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section of the cross-head, tubular casing and hood, and part of the lamp-supports and electrical connections. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of one of the socket connections by which the electrically-communicating spindles are guided to their seats. Fig. at. is a horizontal section of the post or mast, showing the arrangement of the cross-head steadying the lamp, the housing 011 the mast in section, and the adjustable anglepicces mounted on said cross-head. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the angle-irons, showing a modified. construction.

In the said drawings the referencenumoral 1 denotes the post or other similar vertical support, said post being provided with a housing 2, formed of metal or other suitable material and attached to the post by clasps 3. This housing is semi-cylindrical or U-shaped in cross-section and extends to a point several feet below the top of the post. At the upper end of this housing 2 is arranged a casting 4:, fitting at one end upon the housing, and having a tang or extension 5, which is rigidly attached to the post. At its outer end this casting is provided with a tubular extension 6, substantially horizontal in position, and having inserted therein a pipe or tube 7, which is at substantially right angles with the post and of the proper length to sustain the lamp at the desired point.

At the extreme outer end of the tubular arm 7 is a second casting 8, containing the pulley over which the cable is carried by which the lamp is raised and lowered. A similar pulley is arranged in the casting or housing 4:, and the cable 9 runs over these two pulleys, one end being attached to the lamp and the other to a weight within thehousing 2. This weight is such that it will normally support the lamp in its elevated position at all times, the preponderance of weight being provided partly to effect the automatic rise of the lamp, but more especially to insure a close and perfect electrical contact between the movable lamp and the parts from which it is necessarily separated by lowering.

Upon the mast or pole 1, at a suitable point above the pipe or tubular extension 6, is arranged a crosshead 10, which maybe of metal or of wood. if formed of metal,l. cut therein longitudinal slots 12, arranged upon each side of a central point, through which central point passes a bolt 13, by which an attachment is effected to the mast. Upon the face adjacent to the said mast I mount elbowpieces 1%, in which are mounted bolts 15, sliding in the slots 12. In each of these elbowpieces are formed a series of openings 16 to receive bolts 1'7, which enter the mast upon opposite sides. This construction renders the cross-head applicable to masts of any diameter. In cases where the cross-head is formed of 'wood,the slots 12 may be cut in the elbow-pieces 14. From the ends of the crosshead extend wires or small cables 18, which are connected to ahead 25, described hereinafter, to prevent the lamp from swaying and oscillating in a high wind, the tension of these wires being regulated by nuts 19 upon the ends of the wires behind the cross-head. The extremity of the tubular extension 8 is sustained by a guy20, extending from the top of the post and having a turn-buckle 21, by which its strain may be regulated.

The numeral 22 denotes the hood of the lamp, which receives a central tubular casing 23, extending upward nearly to the casting 8. Firmly attached to the casting 8 by screws 24 is a socket head 25, and within the socket of this head 25 is set the convex upper end of the tubular casing 23, having'a central opening, through which passes a male screw 26 having a circular head 27, which lies against a pillow-block 28 interposed between the circular head and the perforated head of the tubular extension. The male screw 26 enters a female thread in the casting 8, and is tubular throughout to permit the passage of the cable 9, by which the lamp is supported. From the opposite sides of the tubular casing extend diagonal rods or wires 29, which support the hood 22, their ends being set in the head '25, and upon each side this head is extended a suitable distance, and upon its extremities are mounted insulators 30, which carry the conducting-wires.

Upon the lower surface of the hood 22 are mounted conducting-bars 31, having a downward curve at their ends, which are provided with eyes to receive the wires, which are fastened by set-screws 33. These bars terminate upon each side of the mouth of the tubular casing 23, and are connected by a curved wire or other conductor 34, fastened at one end by a set-screw and communicating at the otherwith a pivotally-mounted swinging switch 36, turning upon an axis 37. From this switch-plate depends a rubber hanger or pin 38, attached at or near its free end and in or adjacent to the angle of the hood 22 and its depending side is formed a cavity or aperture 39, which receives the end of a staff 40, having a rubber or other nonconducting arm or pin 41, projecting radially therefrom and of such length to engage the hanger 38 of the switch. This staff is of such length as to enable the operator to insert its extremity and use it when standing upon the ground. By forming the opening 39 in the angle of the hood,also, the staff maybe inserted therein by simply running its end along said angle, without requiring the aid of a light. After insertion, a turn in one direction or the other operates the switch and either short-circuits the current or turns it onto the lamps, as the case may be. After cutting the lamp out of circuit, the staff may be used to draw the lamp downward to renew the carbons or for other purposes without the slightest danger to the operator and without requiring the use of a step-ladder.

The numeral 42 denotes what is usually known as the switch-board; but by myinvention I'invert the switch and placeit upon the roof of the hood to avoid all disturbance of electrical connection in lowering and raising the lamp. The lamp is suspended from the board 42 by rods 43, openings 44 being formed upon each side of the center for the passage of the carbons to the tubular casing 23. I may, however, attach the lamp in other ways, if preferred. By the construction shown, however, the cable 9 is connected by a rod 45 with a central head 46 upon the board 42; At or near the ends of this board are formed recesses 47, in which are placed rubber or other insulators 48, fitting said recesses. Passing through central apertures in these insulators are spindles 49, which drop below the board 42, passing through central openings 50 in the bottoms of the recesses 47, of such size as to preclude contact of the same with the spindles. Coiled upon the latter are spiral springs 51, resting on the insulators 4S and against a collar 52, by which the spindles are normally pressed upward. Above these collars are formed rounded heads 53, which, when the lamp is raised and in normal position, lie within sockets 54 in the conductors 31 and are closely seated therein by the tension of the springs 51.

' Surrounding the upperportions of the spindles 49 are male s0cket-pieces 55, having the form, substantially, of a i'rustum of acone, but consisting of shells concentric with the spindles, and having base-flanges 56, which are fastened upon the board 42. Mounted upon the hood-plate 22, but in such manner as to be free from all electrical contact with the spindles, are the female socket-pieces 57, having flaring collars 58, which aid in guiding the male-pieces 55 to their seats, whereby the rounded heads of the spindles are accurately lodged in their sockets 54 as the lamp rises. In the lower ends of the spindles 49 are eyes 59, which receive flexible conductors of any suitable kind, held by bindingscrews 60.

It will be seen that when the current is short-circuited, as shown in the drawings by the position of the switch, the electrical conduction will be from the wire connected to the eye 32 in the conductor 31 at the right hand of Fig. 2, through said conductor, through the switch 36, through the Wire 34, to the like condnctor3l on the other side,-and thence out over the line-wire. \Vhen the switch is placed in its other position, however, the current passes from the conductor 31 in the direction indicated by the arrow to the spindle 49, and thence by 'the flexible connection attached to said spindle to the lamp, and thence out by the similar opposite connections. 4

The hood-board 22 is covered with any IIO LII

suitable material 61, which maybe continued downward on the four sides to form the sides 62 of the said hood.

By this invention the lamp may be cut out and lowered for any purpose and then raised, and the circuit restored in much less time than the same work can be done by mounting a ladder. Moreover, the annoyance and labor of carrying a long and heavy ladder about from lamp to lamp is avoided, while absolute immunity from shocks is secured. One serious objection to the use of a ladder lies in the fact that it not infrequently happens that the lineman is compelled to ascend in close proximity to other live wires, where a slight mistake or momentary inadvertence may cost him his life. The greater number of fatal accidents which have happened of late have been due to this cause; but by my invention this danger is wholly obviated.

\Vhen underground wires are used, the housing 2, containing the weight by which the lamp is raised, forms an excellent conveyer for the wires. The weight in this housing is more than equal to the weight of the lamp, and its adjuncts plus the tension of the two springs 51, thereby insuring perfect contact between the spindles L9 and the conductors 31..

The switch-arm may, if preferred, be made horizontally, and the radial arm on the staff in this case will be arranged vertically or otherwise to enable it to engage said switcharm.

In any form of construction the staff forms a means whereby the lamp may be cut out of or into circuit, and the construction by which this is effected may be widely 'aried from that shown.

What I claim is l. The combination, with a pole or mast and the hood, of electrical conductors having a pivotally-mounted switch, by which the circuit may be either closed through the lamp or the latter cut out, and a staff having near one end a radial arm adapted to engage a hanger on the switch, said hood having an aperture in suitable proximity to the switch and adapted to receive the end of the staff and afford a bearing therefor, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a pole or mast and the hood-board, of a pivotally-mounted switch, by which the current may be either short-circuited and the lamp cut in or out, and a staff having an insulating radial arm at or near one end adapted to engage a hanger on the switch, the hood-board being provided with an aperture arranged at the angle between the edge of the hood-board and its depending side to form a seat for the end of the staff, and to enable said seat to be readily found in the dark, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a pole or mast and an arm from which the lamp is sus pended, of a cross-head centrally affixed to the mast and elbow or angle irons adjustable longitudinally upon said cross-head, and having a series of bolt-openings in the parts abutting against the mast, and guy-wires extending from the ends of the cross-head to the hood, substantially as described.

i. The con'ibination, with a cross-head centrally affixed to the mast or post, of elbow or angle irons having one arm sliding upon the cross-head and provided with bolts lying in slots in said cross-head, while the other arms are each provided with a series of bolt-openings, and guy-wires extending from each end of the cross-head to the hood of the lamp, and having nuts by which their tension may be adjusted, substantially as described 5. The combination, with a mast or post having and arm sustaining the lamp, of a hood-board having conductors, a switch pivoted on said board to connect and disconnect said conductors, rising and falling support for the lamp, and spring-pressed spindle connections mounted on and insulated from the support and engagin with the conductors on the hood-board by the preponderating force of a weight by which the lamp is raised, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a pole or mast having a U-shaped housing clipped to one side, of a tubular arm extending at substantially right angles from the top of the housing, a cord or cable having a weight moving in the housing and attached at the other end to the lamp-support, said cord moving in the tubular arm over pulleys at each extremity thereof, alamp mounted on said support, electric conductors mounted on the hood-board and connected and disconnected by a switch, spring-pressed contact-spindles mounted on the lamp-support and insulated from it, male socket-pieces mounted 011 the movable lampsupport, and female socket-pieces on the hood-board, the former being of the form of a frustum of a cone, and the female pieces of ashape to receive the same and guide the spindles to their seats, substantially as described.

'7. The combination, with detachable contacts adapted to unite with the terminals of the lamp, of a switch making and breaking the circuit through said terminals, and a switch-operating staff having an arm engaging the arm on the switch and operating the same, said arms being insulated or insulating, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my sig nature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES CHASE.

Witnesses:

Wu. H. FARRAND, XV. E. CRAIB.

IIO 

